ABSTRACT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in a speech that drew walkouts by diplomats, protests outside the venue and arrests, according to the supplied reports. Netanyahu defended the U.S.- and Israeli-led war on Iran, which CBS News described as a seven-month campaign, rejected allegations of genocide in Gaza, and attacked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom he called antisemitic. He returned to Israel afterward, where legislative elections are set for Oct. 27, and did not meet with President Trump during the visit, according to NPR, CBS News, CT Public and Arab News.

NPR News

Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly as diplomats walk out

Sep 25, 2026, 7:18 AM

Context

CBS News reported that hundreds of delegates, including diplomats from more than 70 nations, walked out as Netanyahu took the podium; NPR and Arab News both described the number as dozens. Arab News reported that some envoys jeered and booed, that Netanyahu's own team stood and applauded, and that the speaker of the session called for order; NPR noted that some supporters cheered from the public gallery. According to CBS News and Arab News, Netanyahu told those leaving: "If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now."

On Iran, Arab News reported that Netanyahu called the country a "murderous dictatorship" and said the war in which Israeli and U.S. forces have attacked Iran for close to seven months had prevented Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Arab News also reported that he said the fall of Iran's leadership was not "far," that he brandished a pager device like those Israeli intelligence reportedly engineered with explosives before they were shipped to Hezbollah operatives and later detonated, that he accused Turkey of backing Hamas and called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "tyrant," and that he attacked Britain and France over their colonial histories after both imposed limited sanctions on Israeli exports from the occupied West Bank.

On Gaza, CBS News reported that Netanyahu called the genocide accusation "the greatest lie of the century" and said, "What genocidal regime enables the distribution of 2 million tons of food into Gaza?" CBS News noted that Israel restricted supplies of food and other goods at points after Oct. 7, 2023, that in March 2025 Israel enacted a blockade of food, fuel and medicine that lasted nearly three months before being eased under international pressure, and that a U.N.-backed hunger monitor confirmed famine conditions in Gaza in August 2025. CBS News reported that Israeli operations in Gaza have killed more than 73,000 people according to the latest U.N. report citing data compiled by Gaza's health ministry, that Israel has always rejected death toll figures from Gazan authorities, and that Israel has not offered its own estimate; CBS News also reported that Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.

Arab News reported that the International Criminal Court said in 2024 it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was responsible for war crimes in the Gaza campaign, and that Netanyahu denies the ICC claims. Arab News also reported that Mamdani had threatened to execute an ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu before conceding he did not have the authority. Mamdani responded to the speech by saying Netanyahu had used it to "repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians," adding that "no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity."

CBS News reported that hundreds of people joined a protest near U.N. headquarters, that police arrested dozens of people denouncing both Netanyahu and the U.S. government for continuing to sell weapons to Israel, that many of those protesting identified as American or Israeli Jews, and that some held signs calling Netanyahu a terrorist while others repeated the genocide accusation made by a panel of U.N. experts last year as well as by Mamdani and others; CBS News said actor and activist Susan Sarandon took part in a sit-in with the group Jewish Voice for Peace. NPR reported that about 100 people were arrested after large groups gathered in Midtown Manhattan chanting "Let Gaza live" and "the whole world is watching." Arab News reported that dozens of protesters gathered near the United Nations, some carrying "stop the genocide" banners, and that several demonstrators were detained, including Sarandon.

On Israeli politics, CBS News reported that Israel is set to hold legislative elections on Oct. 27, that Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition are trailing in the polls, and that Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, said the address was deliberately planned to counter that trend and could "bring him some votes, or at the very least consolidate the base." Katz also told CBS News that Netanyahu's biggest hope is for President Trump to endorse him, which he said has not happened, and that Netanyahu was unable to get the White House to confirm any meeting with Trump. Thomas Nides, U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2021 to 2023, told CT Public the speech was "a campaign speech" in a close election and "a red-meat speech to get his voters to come out," that Netanyahu's tone "doesn't help," that he did not read the lack of a Trump meeting as signifying a rift, and that settler violence is "obscene" and needs to end.

In a Jerusalem Post opinion column, Zvika Klein wrote that his friends gave Netanyahu credit as a speaker but were frustrated that he did not deliver the same message in Hebrew to Israelis, quoting one as saying, "Come and say this here too. At home." Klein wrote that this year's address contained plenty of arguments against Israel's critics but was less specific about diplomatic initiatives than Netanyahu's 2024 speech, which discussed a possible agreement with Saudi Arabia, and his 2025 speech, which discussed negotiations with Syria and invited Lebanon to direct talks. He wrote that Israelis wanted to hear a vision and plans for what comes next, and that a serious conversation with the Israeli public would include people who disagree with Netanyahu.

Arab News reported that Turkish presidency communications director Burhanettin Duran dismissed Netanyahu's comments as "baseless accusations" that were "incompatible" with U.N. ideals, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. Arab News also reported that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was unable to attend the U.N. gathering after the Trump administration refused him a visa, and that in a video message played before Netanyahu's speech Abbas said, "We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based."

All Perspectives

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister: In his U.N. address he defended the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, saying he had vowed to prevent Iran's "murderous dictatorship" from developing nuclear weapons and that its leadership's fall was not "far." He rejected the genocide accusation against Israel as "the greatest lie of the century" and asked, "What genocidal regime enables the distribution of 2 million tons of food into Gaza?" He called New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani antisemitic and said that since Mamdani's election "many Jews no longer feel safe" in the city, called Turkish President Erdogan a "tyrant," and criticised Britain and France, saying of colonialism accusations, "they invented the term." He told delegates still present, "If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now." Arab News reported that he denies the ICC claims against him.

Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayor: According to Arab News and CBS News, Mamdani said Netanyahu used his U.N. speech to "repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians," and that "no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity." Arab News reported he had previously threatened to execute an ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu before conceding he lacked the authority to do so.

Yaakov Katz, former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief: Katz told CBS News that Netanyahu's primary goal in making the speech was shoring up his political position at home, with Israelis as the main intended audience. He said Israelis see such hostility and conclude that "the world is against us no matter what, but thank God we have a leader, in this case, Netanyahu, who can stand up to everyone and stick it to them," which "could bring him some votes, or at the very least consolidate the base." He said Netanyahu's use of Mamdani as a foil plays well at home, and that Netanyahu's biggest hope is a Trump endorsement, which he said has not come.

Thomas Nides, former U.S. ambassador to Israel: Nides told CT Public that the walkouts "bum me out" and that while such walkouts have happened before, "obviously it's a much more extreme time right now." He said Netanyahu's tone and "some of the theater doesn't help," that Israel has been attacked and also that its behaviour in Gaza "has been criticized, and in many cases justifiably." He called the address "a campaign speech" in a very close Israeli election and "a red-meat speech to get his voters to come out," said he did not think the absence of a Trump meeting signified a widening rift, and said settler violence is "obscene" and needs to be ended, adding that rebuilding Gaza and improving conditions in the West Bank are necessary.

Burhanettin Duran, Turkish presidency communications director: According to Arab News, citing state-run Anadolu, Duran dismissed Netanyahu's comments about Turkey and its leadership as "baseless accusations" that were "incompatible" with U.N. ideals.

Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president: Arab News reported that Abbas could not attend the U.N. gathering after the Trump administration refused him a visa, and that in a video message played ahead of Netanyahu's speech he said, "We reject these unlawful punitive measures, and we reject the accusations and justifications on which they were based."

Protesters and Jewish Voice for Peace: CBS News reported that protesters denounced both Netanyahu and the U.S. government for continuing to sell weapons to Israel, that many identified as American or Israeli Jews, that some held signs calling Netanyahu a terrorist, and that others repeated the genocide accusation made by a panel of U.N. experts last year and by Mamdani and others; Susan Sarandon took part in a sit-in with Jewish Voice for Peace. NPR reported crowds in Midtown Manhattan chanting "Let Gaza live" and "the whole world is watching."

Zvika Klein, Jerusalem Post columnist: Writing in The Jerusalem Post, Klein said his friends credited Netanyahu as a skilled speaker but were annoyed he did not say the same things to Israelis in Hebrew, quoting one: "Come and say this here too. At home." He wrote that the biblical references worked, that this year's speech was heavier on answering critics and lighter on the diplomatic initiatives of his 2024 and 2025 addresses, and that Israelis needed a sense of where the country is going, including answers to follow-up questions and engagement with those who disagree with him.

Position not represented in the source reporting: White House / President Trump; Iranian government; British and French governments.

Where sources differ

The scale of the walkout: CBS News reported that hundreds of delegates, including diplomats from more than 70 nations, left the chamber, while NPR and Arab News both described the number as dozens.
The number of arrests at protests: NPR reported about 100 people were arrested in Midtown Manhattan, CBS News reported that police arrested dozens near U.N. headquarters, and Arab News reported that several demonstrators were detained.
Susan Sarandon's status: Arab News reported that she was among those detained, while CBS News described her as taking part in a sit-in with Jewish Voice for Peace and did not state that she was arrested.
Chamber atmosphere: Arab News reported that some envoys jeered and booed, that Netanyahu's team stood and applauded and that the session's speaker shouted for order, while NPR framed the moment as dozens walking out as some supporters cheered from the public gallery.

Gaps & Unknowns

No source includes any comment from the White House or President Trump explaining why no meeting with Netanyahu was confirmed, or whether an endorsement is being considered.
No source contains a response from Netanyahu's office or the Israeli government to the walkout, the arrest figures, or the criticism of the speech.
No source includes a response from the Iranian government to Netanyahu's remarks about Iran.
No source includes a response from the British or French governments to Netanyahu's criticism of them.
No source provides independent verification of casualty figures in Gaza; CBS News notes Israel rejects figures from Gazan authorities and has not published its own estimate.
No source provides polling numbers for the Oct. 27 Israeli election, only descriptions of the race as close or as one in which Netanyahu's bloc trails.
No source establishes the status or next steps of the U.S.- and Israeli-led war on Iran beyond Netanyahu's characterisation of its effects.
No source states the total number of delegates in the hall or a precise, agreed figure for those who walked out, who protested, or who were arrested.

Sources & Further Reading

CBS News — original — by Ramy Inocencio
NPR News — by Suzanne Nuyen
CT Public — by Leila Fadel
Arab News — by AFP
The Jerusalem Post — by ZVIKA KLEIN

Read the original at CBS News

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